1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of electrical connectors, and more particularly to a stamped contact for use in an electrical connector.
2. General Background
Electrical connectors are used for forming electrical connections between spaced contact pads on adjacent parallel circuit members, such as an IC package and a substrate. The electrical connector typically includes an insulative housing and a plurality of conductive contacts resided within the insulative housing. The conductive contacts extend towards top and bottom sides of the insulative housing in order to establish the electrical connection between the aligned pairs of contact pads through the electrical connector sandwiched between the two parallel members. Making good and reliable electrical connections between the pads of the two members typically requires the conductive contact to have a robust capability so as to withstand a normal force resulted from compression actions of the two parallel member, in addition to having a good current through capability for the conductive contact. Failure of a single conductive contact to make a reliable connection renders the entire frame useless. Further, the electrical connector should occupy a minimum width between the two spaced members, requiring that the individual conductive contacts in the electrical connector to have a limited height while possessing the required spring properties for establishing reliable electrical connections between the contact pads.
In addition, the conductive contacts should be loosely or floatably confined within the electrical connector in order to ensure coplanarity of the conductive contacts with respect to the respective circuit members, such as the IC package and/or the substrate if, in some instances, the circuit member may be deformed due to temperature influences. The floating requirement of the conductive contacts also helps the conductive contacts in forming the reliable electrical connections between the spaced circuit members. Therefore, there is a need to provide a new electrical connector to resolve at least one of the above-mentioned problems.